Fishing tool



April 18, 1961 D. A. POTEET FISHING TOOL Filed March 3, 1960 F'fEi-Z INVENTOR. /04 DALLAS Ah o se-r Fla-3 FISHING TOOL Dallas A. Poteet, Diamond-D-Ranch, Milo, Okla.

Filed Mar. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 12,564

12 Claims. (Cl. 294-86) This invention relates to improvements in tools used for recovering articles such as pipes, rods or tools stuck or lost in a well bore, mine shaft or the like.

As it is well known in the oil industry, various articles, such as strings of drill pipe, tubing and sucker rods, frequently part at an intermediate portion thereof in a completed or partially completed well bore, such that the upper end of the portion of the article lost or remaining in the Well bore is positioned in an intermediate portion of the well bore. In order to recover the portion of the article remaining in the well bore, a grappling device is lowered through the well bore into engagement with the upper end of the article. The grappling device is commonly known in the art as a fishing tool and the lost article is commonly known in the art as a fish.

Various types of fishing tools have been devised, and several designs are presently on the market which will efficiently locate the upper end of the fish and become coupled to the fish. However, the fish is frequently wedged in the well bore to such a degree that it cannot be removed by simply pulling up on the fishing tool. Therefore, it is highly desirable that provision be made for releasing the fishing tool from the fish.

Substantially all fishing tools used in the oil industry are provided with a slips mechanism which is either telescoped around the upper end of the fish, or, when the fish is in the form of a tubular article, such as drill pipe, the slips mechanism may be designed to engage the inner surface of the fish. Most prior fishingv tools require a rotation of the fishing tool in order to release the slips mechanism from a stuck fish. Therefore, the fishing tool must be supported on a rod or tubing string which requires a substantial investment for a fishing operation and requires an unduly large length of time to lower or raise such a fishing tool through a well bore.' Other prior fishing tools have required the use of fluid under pressure in the fishing tool for releasing the slips mechanism from a stuck fish, which in turn requires either the use of a tubing string for supporting the fishing tool or the use of one or mor e'hoses extendingdownwardly through the well bore into connection with the fishing tool. Still other prior fishing tools have the slips mechanism supported therein by a shear pin or the like. In this last-mentionedtype of fishing tool, the fishing tool may be supported on a wire line, but the fishing tool may be released from a stuck fish only by the dropping of a weight downwardly around the wire line to severthe shear pin and release the slips mechanisrn. Each of the above-mentioned types of fishing tools is either difficult to operate, or unduly expensive. 7

The present invention contemplates a novel fishing tool which .may be lowered and raised through. a' well bore by use of awire line and easily engaged with or diseng 2,980,464 Patented Apr. 18, 1961 snub or suppress the action of the spring, such that the fishing tool may be easily disengaged. from a stuck fish by first lowering the tool relative to the fish against the action of the spring, and then quickly raising the tool before the spring has an opportunity to re-engage the slips mechanism with the fish. In a preferred embodiment, the action of the spring is snubbed by means of a piston connected to the slips mechanism and reciprocally disposed in a closed chamber in the tool. Fluid is transferred between opposite ends of the chamber at a controlled rate, such that the piston and the slips mechanism can be moved only at a predetermined rate, which in turn allows the slips mechanism to be disengaged from the fish and the entire tool moved upwardly away from the fish before the spring can reengage the slips mechanism with the fish. I

Broadly stated, the present invention may be defined as a fishing tool for recovering a fish in the form of a pipe or the like stuck in a well bore, comprising a tubular housing, means for lowering and raising the housing through the well bore, a piston reciprocally disposed in the housing for vertical movement in the housing, a spring carried by the housing urging the piston downwardly, means for controlling the downward speed of the piston, a slips actuating mechanism, a slips mechanism adapted to engage the fish when at the same level as the slips actuating mechanism and disengage from the fish when at a different level than the slips actuating mechanism, one of said mechanisms being carried by the housing and movable simultaneously with the housing, the other of said mechanisms being carried by the piston and shaped to contact the fish in a predetermined position of the housing relative to the fish for raising the piston relative to the housing upon downward movement of the housing from said predetermined position, whereby the slips mechanism may be engaged with and then disengaged from the fish by lowering and raising the housing at controlled speeds.

An important object of this invention is to provide a fishing tool which may be easily engaged with and disengaged from a stuck fish.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fishing tool which may be lowered and raised through a well bore or the like and easily engaged with and disengaged from a fish stuck in the well bore, without the use of any equipment or tools, other than the fishing tool itself.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fishing tool having a slips mechanism carried thereby which may be operated by merely raising and lowering the fishing tool at controlled speeds.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a fishing tool having a slips mechanism urged downwardly by a spring, wherein the rate of expansion of the spring is controlled for engaging and disengaging the slips mechanism from a stuck fish.

Another objectof this invention is to provide a fishing tool which may alsobe used as a wash-over tool when supported by a string of tubing or the like.

A stillfurther object of this invention is to provide a fishing tool which is simple in construction, may be economically manufactured, will have a long service life and which may be simply andeconomically operated.

Other'objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wmch illustrate my invention) gaged from a;fish Without the use of any equipment or tools other than the fishing tool itseltl. In one embodiment, the slips mechanism of the fishing tool'is urged In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a fishing tool constructed-in accordancewith this inventio'n illustrating the position of the fishing tool Whenthe tool isv engaged with the upperendof a fish. 1

*Figure 2 is another vertical sectional view of the tool the shown Fig. l, with a portion of the slips mechanism 7 aesmsee i used for a washing liquid in the event a toolv 10 is shown in elevation and illustrating the operation of the 7 tool as the tool is'being released from a stuck fish.

I "Figure 3- is .an enlarged detailedsectional view ofia modifiedorifice construction; 1 Referring to the drawings-in detail,and particularly Fig. 1, "referencecharacterIO generally -designates;one

form of my novel fishing tool-which is utilized for'ien a gage'ment around the upper end of a fish-12' lost in a well bore or thelike (not'shown) t The fish 1-2 may-take any form, such asaportion of a string of drill pipe,

' tubing or sucker rods,aspreviously indicatech V g The tool 16 comprises; a tubular;housing -14 having a'headf16threadedly securediin-the uppenenrl 18tl1ereof an'dhaving a head 20 formedor secured on thelower-end I V 22 thereof. 7 A suitabl'e'connector 245is secured or formed 'on the upper head 16 for connection-With a device -26 form of-a' wire line (as shown), and that the connector 24 will be in the form of a threaded'memberi'n the'event the device 2 6 is in the form a'stringof tubing (not shown), I as is cornrnon in the art. e 1 a a .A piston 28 ispositioned in a chamber id formed in supported by means of a string of tubing (not shown) and when it is desired to use the tool 10 2.5a combination wash-over and fishing tool.

An outwardly extending flange 66 isforrnedon' the lower end of the slip control member 62 to engage the upper end 68 of a slips mechanism generally designated by reference character 70 upon. upward movement of the piston 28. Theslipsn'iechanism 70 is preferably in the form fa tubular. member having a plurality. of circum'ferentially spaced vertically extending slots. 72 there in. extendin'gfrom adjacent theupper end '68 of the mechanism to the 'Vlower end,74 of thernechanism. The slots 72 form' arms or fingers 76, and the slips mechanism 78 is preferably formed out ofa, metal such as spring steel,

' such "that the fingers 76 tend to expand and depend gused for raising'and lowering-thetool lt) through'awell 'bore. 'It'will be understood that the connector zft-willbe in the forrnof a socket when the 5devicer26 is in'the 20.

.the main housing 14 between the heads 16 and 20.; A W

.pair ofi sealingririgs -32, suchfas Q-rings',--ar e held;in mating grooves'aroundythe periphery of; the piston 28 V toslidingly seal the piston'injthe chamber 30;. Also; a restricted passageway or orifice 314 isformed through the r piston '28,}for purposes which will be' hereinafter set term.

The piston 28 is urged'downwardly toward the lower upper endof the spring 36 extends around a tubular skirt or flange 40 formed on the lowerend of the head .16 which secures the spring 36 concentrically in thecham- .7 'ber30. V a

' Acylindrical v mandrel 42 is formed on the upper face 88 of the piston 28 and extends upwardly intoa bore 44;

7 head 20' by. a'helic'al spring 36 anchored between the upper face '38 of the; piston and the head*16.' The vertically from the upper end 68, asiwill be described.

' Suitable serrations 78 are-formed. around'the inner peripheriesjofthefing'ers 76'to engage the upper end of the. fishj12 when the fingers are pressed inwardly toward one another as 'willbe-described. It will heunderstood 'by those skilled; inthe art; howeverQthat the fingers 76 may-be-separate elements and that the upper end 68 of the slips mechanism maybe in theforrn of a ring supporting the separate fingers, e e a As illustratedinf the dI'QWlIJgSyth-UPPCI end 68 of the 'slipsmechanism 70 is-extended'inwardly and provided with a bore 80 therethrough ofa size to 'slidingly receive -the slips control' member-62L Thus, the upper end 68 of the slips mechanism .70iwill'contact the stop flange on the lower end of the slip 'control member 62 when the' slips mechanism is in thelower-position, as

shown in Fig. -1,;and may contact the'nut 60 when the slips mechanism is moved" upwardly around the slip control member'62 as-illustrated in Fig. 2. i

A'tubular extension" 82 isthreadedly securedaround the lower end 22 of the housing 1421\nd. extends downformed at least partway through the upper,;head 16.

' It;.willtherefore be apparentthatthe chamber--51 is sealed atits'upper'and lower ends, such,that'a bodyzof liquid; :56, preferably oil, positioned inithe' chamber 30 will be. required 51o flow through the restricted passageway 34'. upori longitudinal movement of the piston 28. The liquid "56 will contro lthe speed ofirnovementofthe, piston 28, as will 'be described. Itshouldi also be 'observedthat L'theouter'diameterstofthe' mandrels 42yand 48 are equal jto -provideauniform areas for the oppositefendtaces-"38 and 50 of the piston; 28,-; such.-;that -.the"'displacernent of eceivesa nut '60 forlpurposes to be described.

it the lower e' d58 lot "the mandrel4sl-helow-the see-es uar pro de l an exte n on .Of hQIITlQDQ a avera e" ay r4tier d in'the bore 44; forpur f liste fWilL e q a during e;; pp te;m v -I ifi hi i tq a The' -lower inandrel {tit-isofi length-to protrude below."

' gp sition of the piSIOrii flerzendSSflf the 'mandrelAs is externally V s Suitable sealing rings 46, such'as O-rings, are held in -matin'g1 grooves around the mandrel '42 in positionsto slidingly seal the mandrelAzs poseswhich willhe desc'ribed. H V a a s 7 Another cylindricalmandrel 48 isformed on the lower face of'thepiston 28 andfextends downwardly through s [3 ng bore 5 f m through t e lo sri e d 2 F so, a p of sr' e :sH hfisiQ-n ss; e

held inmatinggrooves arounditheilower'mandrel 48 in 1 positions to slidingly seal the mandrel 48in the bore 52..v V I wardly aroundtthe slips mechanism 79. --The lower portion :of the'extension182 is commonly known in'the art as a slips bowl or actuator, and the lower portion 84 of the inner periphery thereofjis tapered inwardly toward the lower end 86 'of the member to actuate the slips mechanism 70. In othervvords, the expanded diameter of the slips mechanism 70 is such th at the fingers 76 are .lengaged by the tapered portion 84 of the member 82 and thefingers are compressed inwardly toward one another .whenthe slips mechanisrn'g'll) 'is in'its lowermost position .as illustratedin Fig: 1;. Ihus; the tapered area 84 contracts the fingers 76 into .engagement'wit-h the upper end oil-the fish 12 to provide an effective coupling of the .the member 82 is pre'ferably trperedupwardlyand in- '10 over .the I upper end-of Z the 55 Twardly tofacilitate the ;downward movernent of the tool thefi shsby theslipsmechanism 70. T a Y ffis'h :12 for engagement of lhelical compression springg 88 is positioned in the member'l82 and extends; betweeni the "lower 1 head; 20; and

. ihe upperlendg [of theslips mechanismfjl). A' suitable sk1rt .or fiange -9.0 is :formed; on -.thelower{ h ead 20 to maifitain fthe spring 88in alignment-in the; member 82 coucentricallyaroun dand :put of interferen ce with ;the gmandr'el or: nutjtkf 'Ihe". splfii3g .88 constantly urges the. slips mechanism 70"downwa1dly for engage'ment by. thetapered area845of the member 82, as well lasresist- .in any-upward movement of the. slips mechanism 70, as :willib fiq b d- T mechanism 70 will be contracted, and the oil 56 in the chamber 30 will all be positioned above the piston 28.

As the lower end 86 of the housing extension 82 is moved over the upper end of the fish 12, the fish will contact the slip fingers 76 and move the slips mechanism 70 relatively upward in the member 82. As the down ward movement of the fishing tool is continued, the slips mechanism 70 will be moved upwardly around the slip control 62 until the fingers 76 are raised along the tapered area 84 a sufiicient distance that the fingers 76 are expanded to receive the upper end of the fish 12 thcrebetween. As shown in Fig. 2, and as previously indicated, the slip fingers 76 will expand or move outwardly when they are moved out of engagement with the tapered area 84 to increase the effective inner diameter of the slips mechanism 70, such that the upper end of the fish 12 may be moved into the slips mechanism. The distance between the stop flange 66 and nut 60 is normally sufiicient to allow upward movement of the slips mechanism 70 and expansion of the fingers 76 without raising the piston 28. However, the slips mechanism 70 and the piston 28 can be moved upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 when the fish 12 is being engaged, without damage to the apparatus.

When the upper end of the fish 12 is telescoped into the slips mechanism 70, the fishing tool 10 is raised by pulling upwardly on the wire line 26. During upward I movement of the housing 14 and extension 82, the spring 88 will urge the slips mechanism 70 relatively downward with respect to the housing to bring the finger 76 into contact with the tapered area 84 and compress the serrations 78 of the fingers against the outer surface of the fish. It should be noted in this regard, however, that the initial upward movement of the fishing tool 10 should be relatively slow to assure that the slips mechanism 70 will be moved into contact with the tapered surface 84 before the member 82 is raised above the fish 12, since the rate of expansion of the spring 88 is controlled, as will be described more in detail below.

With the slips mechanism 70 engaged around the upper end of the fish 12, and with the fingers 76 in contact with the tapered area 84 as illustrated in Fig. l, the fish 12 will normally be removed from the well bore by a continued upward pull on the wire line 26. However, in some'situations, as previously indicated, the fish 12 will be stuck in the well bore and cannot be removed by a simple upwardpull on the wire line 26. In this latter event it is desirable that the fishing tool 10 be released from the fish 12 for removal of the fishing tool from the well bore; such, that the fish 12 canbe loosened by other appropriate tools. i

In order to release the fishing'tool 10 from the fish 12,

slack is provided in the wire line 26 to lower the member 82 downwardly around the, fish. The weight of the fishing tool will therefore be imposed on the spring 88 to compress the spring 88 and move the slips mechanism 70 relatively upward in the housing extension 82. In this connection it may be noted that the slips mechanism 70 will move with-respect to the slip control member 62 either until the upper end 68 of the slips mechanism contacts the nut 60, or until the upper end of the fish con tacts the stop flange 66 as illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be apparent that when the upper. end of the fish 12 contacts the stop flange 66 the piston 28 will be moved relatively upward through the chamber 30 and will force the body of oil 56 from the upper end of the chamber 30 through the restricted passageway 34 into the lower end of the chamber 30. The downward movement of the housing 14 and housing extension 82 is continued until the spring 36 is fully compressed as" illustrated in Fig. 2. At this time at least the majority of the oil 56 will be in the lower end portion of the chamber 30 below'the piston 28 wand-the slips mechanism 70' will be'completely removed l from the tapered area 84, such that the slip fingers 76 will not be in engagement withthe fish 12 This; latter position of the piston 28 and slips mechanism 70 will be clearly indicated to the operator of the device by the appearance of slack in the wire line 26.

With the fishing tool 10 in the position shown in Fig. 2, the wire line 26 is quickly raised to raise the fishing tool 10 from around the upper end of the fish 12. The downward movement of the slips mechanism 70, upon movement of the slip control member 62 above the upper end of the fish 12, will be relatively slow, since the oil 56 in the lower end of the chamber 30 must flow through the restricted passageway 34 into the upper end of the chamber 30. This controlled flow of the oil 56 resists the expansion of the springs 36 and 88, which in turn controls the downward speed of movement of the slips mechanism 70. It will be apparent that the restricted passageway 34 may be of a size to allow upward movement of the housing 10 at a rate faster than the downward movement of the slips mechanism 70, such that the entire fishing tool 10 may be raised above the fish 12 before the slips mechanism 70 can become re-engaged with the fish 12.

In some recovery or fishing operations, it is desirable to use the tool 10 for jarring a stuck fish prior to coupling the tool to the fish. To allow such an operation, this invention contemplates the use of a limiting device (see Fig. 3) for further limitingthe upward movement of the piston 28 and'slips mechanism 70. The limiting device 100 comprises a cap 102 threaded into a counterbore 104 formed in the piston 28 at the lower end of the aperture 34. A sleeve 106 having a closed lower end is slidingly disposed in the cap 102 and is held against the upper end of the counterbore 104 by a spring 108. When thesleeve 106 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, a port 110 in the wall of the cap 106 mates with a groove 112 formed around the sleeve 106. The groove 112 in turn communicates with a port 114 formed through the wall of the sleeve 106. Therefore, liquid can flow downwardly through the aperture 34, sleeve 106 and ports 114 and 110 into the lower end of the chamber 30. However, ifa sudden pressure is. created in the liquid above the piston 28, as by a jarring action in anupward direction on the piston 28, the sleeve 106 will be forced down against the spring 108 and discontinue communication between the ports 110 and 114. In this event, the piston 28 remains in the lower portion of the chamber 30 and the slips mechanism '70 remains in position for engaging the stuck fish when the tool is moved upwardly.

When using thedevice 100, the aperture .34 may be made larger and a separate orifice member116 threaded into the aperture 34 as illustrated in Fig. 3, It will also beapparent that when the limiting device 100 is used, a stop (not shown) should be provided on the upper end of the head 20 to limit the downward movement of the piston 28 and prevent damage of the device 100 when the piston 28 is moveddownwardly in the chamber 30.

Fromthe foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novelfishing tool wherein the tool may be easily engaged with a fish and then easily disengaged from the fish by simple upward and downward movements; of the fishing tool at controlled speeds. It

for shearingpins and the like. It will be further apparent i that the present fishing tool'may b'e easily run ina well bore" on a-wire line for a fast and eificient fishing operation and yet the fishing tool may be easily disengaged from astuck fish. 1

Changes may be made in the combination and arrange ment of parts or elements as heretoforef'set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being under- ,;3. A ,fishingftool as define d means for controlling ;the speed of saidpiston includes a'bod'y -off liquid in said chamberg and means for trans-i 9 rats controlled ramiv housing through the ywell' bore, a

:, f the piston, V

, nism,,adapted'tosengage the fish when I I Y as .the :slipsiactuating mechanism and; dis g ge from the V ""fi'shpwhen ata ditierent level than, thejslips' actuating 'niechanis'm, i one of; said mechanisms being carried by, the

*honsingand'inovable' simultaneouslyiwith the housing,

Y 'reiitiveffthena si made in the precise embodi:

meat disclosed without, departing from-,thefspirit and scope of the inventioritjasjiefined in the *following claims. F011 example,' the slips mechanism and slips actuator may be easilynde'signed to engage the slips mechanism with the inner periphery of a' tubular fish.

l la m: j I a 1 r a 1. VA fishing tool for recovering a pipe 'or {the stuck. pipe,'said slip,means also beingbiased in a direction-tome disengaged ,fiom the stuck pipe,'a slips iactuator carried ,by'the housing for moving the slip means into engagement with the stuck pipe upo'n downward movement, of the slipmeans relative to';the housing, a spring carried by the housing urgingthe slip means down relative to the housing, and sn'ubbing' means carried by the housing for controlling, the. rate of expansion of saiid spring, whereby theslip means may bereleased from the stuck pipe by first raising the slip means-relative to the I housing against the action of said spring and then raising -thehousin'gfi Q V 2.-'A; fishing. tool as defined in claim l'wherein said fsnubbing means includes, means forming a tchan berjin said housing, a piston reciprocally disposed in said 7 beriandconne'cted to said slipfmeans, and meansifor controlling the speedofmovement of Said PiStonin said chamber through at least a;,portion of rthefdownward movement of said piston. in claiml wherein said p the like stuck n a well bore,- comprising ahousin'g, means for a housing from. said predetermif ed position, whereby the slips mechanism maybe engag'ediwith and then disengagedm the sh yl 'we na a it sin z he us at n olled spe d f i a v 1 fi hi i061 asn d n l la m, wherein s housing shaped to form achamber slidinglyreceiving h p sto p d means o f o ol n lth ss 'cwnw Speed. o h fiw mmises a o yrio l quisi Said chamber, and means foif controllingtransfer'olf the liquid between the opposite ends of chamber-at 1a predetermined rate. c 1 a 1 t i 1 f8. Ajfishing .tool as defined in claimuj'lwherein said ast-mentioned means comprises a, restricted passageway formedthroughthe piston, V

9. .A.fishing tool for recover g aifish in the tormof a pipe or the like stuck in a well bore, comprising a tubular housing having anjppr endand alower end, means for lowering and raisingfthe housing through the wellbore, vertically spaced heads, in thehousing forming a chamber therebetween, a pistonfreciprocally disposed in saidchamber', mandrels extending from'the upper, and lower end faces TOf' said piston through. bores,;,in said heads, means slidingly sealing je'ach mandrel in its respective head, a body of liquid in said ichamben a restricted passageway'through saidpiston for transferring the liquid between opposite ends of Said chamb er;and controlling the speed; of movementfot "said piston,,a jslipsjjmechanism c a'rried'lonr the i-lower end 'ofjth'e ,loweijmandreljfor Lencir'cling the fish, and coupling-the housing ,to :the fish,

a'tiibular' slips actuator carried on the lowersend of, the

housing for contracting the slips pmechanis'rniiithe lowerferring said liquid between opposite ends of said chamber I '4. A fishingitool las-deiinedfin eiaims'hi e'r'nisan means :for transferring said; liquid between opposite, ends 1 ofsaid chanfiber comprises a restricted jpassagewaytlir'oug hs'aid piston. I 1 a A fishingttool as defined in claim 3 wherein said l qfiidisoili a I easing, {means} .fdr lowering'jalii raising the v pgsearintnepqusm forlyertical mevementia the1l1ous 2a 1 slips .actu atingfmechan e samej levelii slips -mechar fnost position fof-the' slips mechanism, andfa jspring car- 1 .s ried by the housing for urging eslips' mechanism down against the slipsactuator.- l "10; A fishing tooliasjdefinedingclaim 9 wherein said piston and mandrels rare-tubular in form to provide a continuous fluid-passageway therethlioughnl 1 ,7

'- '11. A fishing'tool asfdefin'ed in laim 9-characterized further, toainclude fa slip eontrollsec'uredlonlthe lower endof said lower ina'ndrel and-having an outwardly ex tending stop. on rthe'lowe i' end ther on-another outwardly extending as en-said lowerrha'ndrelin yerticallyspaced or -theflikestuckiinragwell ,bor'e, comprisin at,

, inges'aidfpi'stonin downward 'diiiectiona isto'nlreci rogal1y;;dis I a counterbore acteriied; t

rjelationfroin the. first-mentioned, step, said slips'mechanisnL being. slidingly-telescoped around-said; slippontrol between said ,stops, said spring; being anchored ag'a1nst ec'hantsm against the slip}: ,mchanisin to-urge the} slips the lower; stop, a second spying;

5.1 aifishifig a restricted passageway Ii'asan the 1 "Line stnemr sai ifiemntsms bein'g cahiedby the piston. j "and shapedztoicontactthe'iish apredetermined position. I E

7 of: the hou singfrelati edojthe forsraising the ,pistoii 

